Weiland Sentenced, Velvet Revolver EP On Hold

08/19/2003 5:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
LAUNCH Radio Networks

(8/19/03, 5 p.m. ET) -- Last Thursday (August 14) Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland was sentenced to three years probation in Pasadena, California on two felony drug possession charges.

Weiland, who has a history of drug related arrests dating back to the mid 1990's, was nabbed in Burbank, California on May 17, when police stopped the car, driven by a 29-year-old companion, for driving without its headlights turned on.

During the routine stop, police spotted drug paraphernalia in the car and arrested Weiland. The 35-year old singer must now continue to attend a drug rehab program. If he completes the terms of his probation within a year, there's a chance the case will be dismissed. If he doesn't, he could face up to a year in jail.

Meanwhile, Weiland's Velvet Revolver bandmates have voiced their support for their singer and are moving forward with plans for the future. The new band, featuring Weiland along with former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, recently shelved plans for an EP/DVD. The band was planning on releasing their June 19 performance at Los Angeles' El Rey Theater through Immortal Records this fall. However, Velvet Revolver scrapped plans for the album when other record labels started getting interested, according to a statement by the band's publicist. Although the band hasn't signed with a label yet, they hope to sign a deal and have an album ready for early 2004.

Velvet Revolver recently released "Set Me Free," which appears on the soundtrack to the movie the Hulk, but before that the band did a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money" for the soundtrack to the movie the Italian Job. Bassist Duff McKagan said that it was after completing the two tracks that the band knew they had chemistry. "I called Scott (Weiland)," McKagan said. "Scott came over. We did 'Money,' talked to [Hulk director] Ang Lee. He wrote lyrics for this original song of ours, and the chemistry was absolutely there."

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